Chapter 14: The Hunt Begins

Vito scanned their surroundings. There were open fields and tree thickets as far as the eye could see. “Kaelyn, do you see anything?”

She looked through her spyglass. “Scorched trees and grass off in the distance, nothing more.”

“This could be a trap. As you said, dragons don’t normally appear around here,” Vito argued.

“Yeah. I don’t like this,” Delwyn agreed.

“Even so, the burns are proof enough that the dragon is real. We’ll find it, put it down, and investigate why it appeared afterwards,” Greye told them.

“I’d expect nothing less from the boss. Slay the dragon now, ask questions later,” Vito said with pride.

Greye chuckled and patted his head. “Yeah, that’s why I’m the boss.”

They spent the next few hours searching the area and finding only scorched ground and plants. Animal and monster tracks suggested that the dragon was hunting. However, there was no sign of the dragon itself.

“At least we didn’t run into any monsters. That’s a good thing, right?” Iris tried to keep up their spirits.

“Certainly, the absence of monsters and bandits will help Orinis. Those cretins would have fled at the first sight of an elder dragon,” Parsifal agreed. “Things will only become far worse if we can’t find that dragon before it moves any closer to the village.”

They reached a clearing in a particularly large thicket of trees. “Okay, we’ll rest here for now,” Greye announced. “All good adventurers know that eating a meal and taking a nice rest is important during any quest.”

Delwyn felled a couple of trees and cut them into smaller logs so they could sit on them. Vito and Galien gathered some sticks while Parsifal used magic to gouge a shallow hole in the ground to safely build a fire pit.

Slivers of light shone through the tree boughs above, and a fire crackled at the center of their camp. Greye roasted some meat while Parsifal cooked a type of stew in a large pot. Greye quietly tossed a pebble at Vito’s leg to get his attention, then motioned for his son to talk to the girl sitting beside him. A second sharper look prompted Vito to strike up a conversation with the mage he recruited to their party.

“So, uh, how long have you been working in the church?” He was visibly nervous and unsure. Delwyn didn’t even try to hide the mocking smirk that formed across her lips.

“Four years now. I joined the church because I want to help people,” she replied. “It’s also a family tradition. At least one member of my family joins the church each generation. I’m related to some very powerful and influential church members.” She seemed proud of her family.

Vito wondered if they joined because of their belief or because of the power belief afforded them. A couple of Vatican Cardinals were related to Vito, so he understood where she was coming from. “That’s admirable. I can’t imagine living in such a stuffy place. I’d die of boredom.”

Iris narrowed her eyes. “It’s not stuffy or boring. There is plenty of excitement to be found when serving Ivalis. For instance, a very rude adventurer just recently asked me to help him slay a dragon.” Iris crossed her arms beneath and awaited an apology.

Delwyn nor Greye could hide their laughter. Vito cleared his throat before speaking. “You’re right, that was rude of me. I’m very sorry.” Her expression softened, but she was still annoyed. “Maybe you can tell me more about Ivalis. Does she govern life and death?”

Iris was surprised by his question. “Well, yes. She judges us all when we pass from this life to the next.”

“What about reincarnation?”

“Yes, that as well, but it’s extraordinarily rare. Why do you ask?”

“I heard that reincarnation was possible, but I couldn’t find any specific examples, so I wondered if someone just made something up.” He managed to lie in front of her. “Could Ivalis bring a soul from another world to this one?”

Iris was once more surprised. “Another world? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Many bored mages have been studying this topic for centuries. I’m surprised Vito heard of it,” Parsifal interjected. “The theory states that there are as many worlds parallel to our own as there are in the night sky. However, no one has ever proven this theory.”

“Well,” Iris thought a moment. “If such a thing were possible, then, of course, Ivalis would be the one to govern rebirth from other worlds.”

Vito realized she wouldn’t have much more information about it. He was grateful to Ivalis for giving him another chance at life, but he never learned why she saved him. Was it a simple act of kindness, or was he meant to do something? He didn’t like the feeling that he could be a puppet dancing at the end of Ivalis’s strings.

Greye served plates of his seasoned meat and Parsifal’s stew to the party. He once more motioned for Vito to strike up a conversation with Iris. He wasn’t really paying attention to his father. His empty stomach made its needs known.

“What I wouldn’t give for a plate of pasta,” Vito said absentmindedly.

“Pasta? What’s that?” Iris asked him.

Vito cursed himself. “It’s a type of dish from another country. Dough made from wheat, water, or eggs is flattened into sheets to be cut into different shapes. Then it’s baked or boiled.”

“Oh? That sounds interesting.”

“Yes, it does. I’d like to try some,” Delwyn agreed.

“I’ll make some when we’re finished here,” Vito promised them. He enjoyed learning how to cook from his mother and grandmother. “The hamlet’s gardens have plenty of seasoning that would work for a few of my favorite dishes.”

“I’ll look forward to trying your cooking then,” Iris said in a sweet voice. Vito cast a brief glance at her. He and Rosa used to cook plenty of their favorite dishes together. Rosa was always a far better cook than he was, but she would praise everything he made, no matter how bad his attempts may have been.

“Strange. He’s never cooked for anyone before. Are you holding out on us, you runt?” Delwyn pretended to be annoyed. Vito merely shrugged and continued to eat his lunch.